A/N: No spoilers (at least I don't think there are).  This is G/S oriented, so don't expect to see much of anyone else. If you're a Catherine fan, I'm sorry to hear that.  You probably won't like this.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and I mean nothing. Sue me if you want, but there's really no point.

Regarding Ruth

Chapter one,  The Standoff

Sara sifted through the photographs of her crime scene, pausing on the snapshots of the victim. The criminalist quickly catalogued her observations. Mid-sixties, she noted. No wedding ring. Average weight, height. Multiple blows to the head and neck. No obvious signs of sexual assault. Well-dressed. Probably takes good care of herself.  What happened here?

The woman had been found in a field near the airport.  Her purse and suitcase were recovered nearby, but the wallet was missing. The small suitcase was devoid of any tags or stickers.  She must have carried it on. Maybe she was only planning to be here a few days, Sara theorized. If the victim had any jewelry, it, too, had been taken.  Robbery appeared to be the motive.  Jane Doe was in critical condition at University Medical Center. She had suffered a concussion, but the more serious injury had been the trauma to the back of her neck.  The resultant edema had left her paralyzed from the neck down. She was unable to breathe on her own or communicate in any way. There remained hope that as the swelling receded, she would regain her muscle control. Sara silently prayed for her.  Doubtful that the perpetrator would ever be caught, Sara focused on identifying the victim. 

She pored over missing person reports and found none that fit Jane Doe. She went over the suitcase again, hoping to find something she had missed. No dice. Catherine had examined the woman's clothing to no avail before leaving to work another case. The ringing of Sara's cellular telephone interrupted her train of thought.

"Sidle"

"Hey, Sara, how's your case coming?"  Catherine asked in a tone that indicated she didn't really want to hear the answer.

Sara dreaded the days when Catherine was in charge. This week it was because Grissom had a consultation in Salt Lake City.

"Still no luck with the ID."

"OK, well, try to wrap it up. They're cracking down on overtime again."

"Doing my best, Catherine. Bye."

Shift ended without any progress. Yawning, Sara decided to go home, sleep, and come back to look at it with more alert eyes.

***************************************

Sara arrived at work a few minutes early, hoping to get some fresh coffee before Catherine came in to make the assignments. She knew she didn't really need to come early; after all, she already had her case.  It was just a matter of habit. She sat in a chair at the table, and was sitting there still when Catherine entered five minutes later.

"Where's everyone else?" Sara asked

"At the scene already.  Haven't you heard?"

Sara's confusion was evident  "Heard what?"

"Oh, Honey, you need to watch TV more often. Melinda Jones? The singer?  Ring any bells?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She was found dead in her room at Bellagio this afternoon. It looks like a fairly cut- and- dried OD, but the press is having a field day.  Everyone's on it."

"Not everyone." Sara stated simply.

"Yes, everyone."  Catherine emphasized.

"If it's so cut-and-dried, you don't need four crims, Catherine. You don't need me. Jane Doe does."

"I wasn't really asking, Sara."

Sara stared at her silently. Catherine was growing irritated.

"I'm in charge as long as Gil's out of town, Sara. Get your ass to the truck. We've got a job to do."

"Gil's back," Grissom countered from the doorway. "Is there a problem here?"  He wasn't sure he really wanted to get involved in this, but as the supervisor he knew he had no choice.  Sara still didn't move or speak.

"Hey, welcome back. You're a day early." Catherine's voice dripped with sweetness.

"I finished early. You didn't answer my question."

"We have a high profile case at Bellagio. Dead rock star."

"And?"

"And we need all hands on deck. This could be good publicity for the lab."

Sara finally weighed in,  "Is that what it's all about?" She appealed to Grissom, "Publicity? It's not a case that requires four or five CSIs."

"Whatever you might think of Melinda Jones, she was a human being, Sara," Catherine snapped.

"Yes, she was," Sara replied. "And so is Jane Doe. They both deserve our attention. I'm not telling you to ignore Melinda Jones. You, Nick and Warrick will do a fine job, I'm sure. I'm not abandoning my vic simply because another one is more famous."

Grissom attempted to sort out the facts, "What's going on with your case, Sara?" 

Sara quickly brought him up to date on the quest to identify Jane Doe.  Grissom thought it over a bit, and searched for the right words to use. He knew she wasn't going to like this.  "You've done everything you can to identify her. There's nothing more to research. Like it or not, the publicity is important. It indirectly affects any number of things, our budget not the least among them."

"No, I haven't done everything yet. I'm not dropping this until I've exhausted every possible lead." Sara was incensed, " That poor woman is lying in a hospital bed all alone, unable to move, talk or even breathe! Who's supposed to speak for her?"

Grissom found himself very uncomfortable with the escalation of the disagreement. He felt caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Catherine, could you leave us alone, please." He directed more than requested.

Catherine smirked at Sara, stomped out of the break room and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Sara," Grissom soothed. "Some things are beyond our control."

"But not this one.  I'm working this case, even if you fire me and I have to work it from home. When I've done all I can for her, then I'll put it away," she shook her head, calmer now but resolute. "Not before."

How did I lose control of this? Grissom wondered. He was suddenly very aware of the only sound in the room. Who knew a ticking clock could be so loud? 

"You're putting me in a tough spot here."

"I'm sorry. But, you know, life is full of difficult choices. I'm not too happy with the position I've been put in either."

"Life is full of difficult choices?"

Sara shrugged. "It sounded Grissomian. Am I fired? Suspended?"

"No," he whispered. He turned and left the room, leaving Sara with a victory that felt very hollow.

TBC